In my opinion Tramon being extremely savvy results in him being able to perform at a high level lining up at cornerback while being up there in age. There aren't any elite free safeties being significantly older than 30 years though with Reggie Nelson most likely being the best of the group. He's played the position for all of his career though.
Conversely, there aren't any elite CBs significantly older than 30. Now, do you really believe that Williams was just shy of elite last year as the PFF grade indicates, covering #2 wideouts? I doubt it. That grade indicates a good season but there are surely circumstantial factors that went into that grade. I've yet to see any indication that PFF factors in the level of competition. For example, here's a detailed description of how they grade linemen with no reference to the competition:
https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-how-we-grade-offensive-and-defensive-linemen
It's not uncommon for a guy to get an outlier high PFF grade for one year, without much evidence in prior or subsequent years that the guy is a high level performer. Besides covering #2's, it would take a deep dive into who those #2's were, something I'm not going to bother with while there is also no evidence that PFF does that either.
I cited Williams grade merely to indicate that it is evidence he likely is not running slower than his Pro Day time in scoring that well with PFF even if it is against #2's.
Historically, there are instances of elite corners switching to safety once they pass the age 30 mark, the Woodsons for instance, Darren and Charles, to name two. Now, I wouldn't compare Williams to those players. A better analogue would be Terence Newman, plugged in at free safety in 2015 at the age of 37, a position he had not previously played, due to a rash of injuries:
https://www.twincities.com/2015/12/...r-terence-newman-shift-to-safety-no-big-deal/
Do I think it likely we'll see Williams at the position in the next two years? My previous comments should indicate I do not. Might circumstances necessitate it? I'd say that's possible. Might he be plan B if C-D is injured? I would not rule that out. Might he be plan B for next season if C-D is not re-signed and no alternative emerges? I'd say that's possible in the "who else yah got?" equation. Might he be installed at SS due to injury or performance issues? Sure.
The more likely scenario? One of King, Alexander or Jackson "doesn't get it" by opening day with Williams starting at one of the corner positions.
The optimal outlook? All the Lake Wobegone children prove to be above average, Williams comes off the bench in dime, and starts when there is the inevitable injury to one of the 5 DB starters, where going 80 for 80 in starts among those 5 guys is nearly impossible.
Teams definitely prefer to use the fifth year option even on elite players as it secures having them available at a decent price for another season. With Adams being a second round selection the Packers didn't have that option though.
While Adams was not subject to the 5th year option, he was extended, probably at the first day of eligibilty. Rookie draftees cannot be extended until the conclusion of their 3rd. season. The Packers did not have to do that. They could have waited risking the price goes up; the same applies to the 5th. year option first rounders.
Anybody likes to pay less for anything, but there are other factors at play. I do not think teams who have an elite core player choose to exercise the 5th. year option and then have the player play under that option unless they view the salary demands as excessive or they are cap strapped. It's easy to point to Donald, Mack or Clowney contracted under the option for 2018. But will they play under that option by opening day without an extension? And if not, will they still be with that team when all is said and done because of onerous salary demands? Or are they already viewed as unaffordable and playing elsewhere in year 6 is a foregone conclusion?
We have to go back to the 2013 draft to see which players actually played for their drafting teams in year 5 under the option and then were still with that team in year 6. That would indicate the frequency of teams looking to squeeze a buck as long as they could while regarding the player as necessary. I didn't know what I'd find, but the results are pretty interesting.
There was not one single instance of a player working under his 5th. year option without an extension who subsequently signed a long term deal starting in the 6th. year. In fact, only two players working under the 5th. year option signed with his drafting team for a 6th. year, Ansah under a franchise tag and Eifert under a one year deal.
There are several examples of guys who played under the option with an extension signed prior to year 5 starting in year 6, but those cases have signing bonuses back-flowing into higher year 5 cash and cap. Others renegotiated prior to year 4 in essence or in fact wiping out the option altogether.
The idea that teams use the 5th. year option to squeeze out some bucks with the intent of signing elite players to long term deals starting in year 6 doesn't hold up in this most recent example year.
Here are the outcomes of those 2013 5th. year options.
Option Exercised:
1
Kansas City Chiefs Eric Fisher OT Central Michigan - signed a 4 year extension prior to year 4
4
Philadelphia Eagles Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma - technically option ineligible because he signed an extention before the option exercise date
5
Detroit Lions Ezekiel Ansah DE Brigham Young - played under 5th. year option after a 2 sack 4th. year;
currently franchised for 6th. year at $17 mil after a 12 sack 5th. year
8
St. Louis Rams Tavon Austin WR West Virginia - signed a 4 year extension prior to year 4
11
San Diego Chargers D.J. Fluker OT Alabama - cut after year 4 before the option would become guaranteed
13
New York Jets Sheldon Richardson DE Missouri - traded to Seattle before year 5 and played under the option as a rent-a-player; signed a one year deal with the Vikings for 2018
14
Carolina Panthers Star Lotulelei DT Utah - played under 5th. year option then went FA signing a lucrative long term deal with Buffalo
15
New Orleans Saints Kenny Vaccaro SS Texas - played under the 5th. year option; is currently an unsigned FA
18
San Francisco 49ers Eric Reid FS LSU - played under 5th. year option; is currently an unsigned FA
19
New York Giants Justin Pugh OT Syracuse - played under the 5th. year option then went FA signing a lucrative long term deal with Arizona
20
Chicago Bears Kyle Long OG Oregon - signed a 4 year extension prior to year 4
21
Cincinnati Bengals Tyler Eifert TE Notre Dame - played under the 5th. year option;
signed a one year, $4.6 mil deal for 2018 after an injury plagued 2017
22
Atlanta Falcons Desmond Trufant CB Washington - signed a 5 year extension prior to year 5
23
Minnesota Vikings Sharrif Floyd DT Florida - cut before year 5 but after that option year was guaranteed; the Vikings claim that a non-football related injury voided the guarantee is under dispute
25
Minnesota Vikings Xavier Rhodes CB Florida State - signed a 5 year extension prior to year 5
27
Houston Texans DeAndre Hopkins WR Clemson - signed a 5 year extension prior to year 5
30
St. Louis Rams Alec Ogletree OLB Georgia - signed a 4 year extension prior to year 5, then traded to the Giants after year 5 with the Giant's converting a 2018 roster bonus to signing bonus in a "cap friendly" move
31
Dallas Cowboys Travis Frederick C Wisconsin - signed a 6 year extnesion prior to year 4
Options Not Exercised:
2
Jacksonville Jaguars Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M
3
Miami Dolphins Dion Jordan DE Oregon - ineligible under indefinite suspension
6
Cleveland Browns Barkevious Mingo OLB LSU
7
Arizona Cardinals Jonathan Cooper OG North Carolina - traded to New England after season 3; New England did not exercise
9
New York Jets Dee Milliner CB Alabama
10
Tennessee Titans Chance Warmack OG Alabama
12
Oakland Raiders D.J. Hayden CB Alabama
16
Buffalo Bills EJ Manuel QB Florida State
17
Pittsburgh Steelers Jarvis Jones OLB Georgia
24
Indianapolis Colts Bjoern Werner OLB Florida State - released prior to eligibility
26
Green Bay Packers Datone Jones DE UCLA
28
Denver Broncos Sylvester Williams DT North Carolina
29
Minnesota Vikings Cordarrelle Patterson WR Tennessee
32
Baltimore Ravens Matt Elam FS Florida
And for gosh sakes you're not supposed to publicly put a monetary value on your feelings for the dearly departed.
